🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This time around, the influential color company has selected white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Additional critics contend that presenting white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during continuing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality denotes virtue".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful trend indicator.

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade feels soft and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, restful atmosphere".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury